This invention relates to an artificial nose comprising a speech valve in the form of a device for inserting into a tracheostoma prosthesis or tracheostoma plaster.
Tracheostoma prostheses (also known as tracheal cannulas or tracheostoma tubes) for treating patients without larynx (laryngeetomees) with opened throat (so called tracheostoma) have been known for decades. These prostheses are available with and without a speech valve. However, the different embodiments provided with a speech valve have become more and more important in the rehabilitation of laryngectomees because they make speaking success possible for the patients.
The tracheostoma tubes with a speech valve mostly consist of a treacheal cannula with a cannula plate and a valve receiving part for supporting an exterior speech valve, and an interior speech valve of the tracheal cannula is supported in a tube between the esophagus and the windpipe so that air can escape through the interior speech valve towards the mouth area if the tracheostoma is blocked (in case of a closed exterior speech valve) and vibrations for speaking are generated in the upper area of the esophagus. In these arrangements, the tracheostoma is blocked manually by closing the exterior speech valve at the outer face of the tracheal cannula.
Due to a laryngectomy and the subsequent implant of a tracheostoma prosthesis, the connection between the nose and the lung of the laryngectomee is interrupted so that the natural function of the nose (warming, moisturizing and filtering the respiratory air as well as setting up a known respiratory resistance) is not guaranteed any more.
According to the current state of the art, heat and moisture exchangers (also called artificial nose or HME) are known to be put on tracheal cannulas or tracheostoma tubes.
The heat and moisture exchangers extract moisture and heat from the patient's exhaled air and deliver them to the inhaled air simultaneously filtering the respiratory air so that the penetration of particles into the patient's respiratory tract is prevented and a known respiratory resistance is set up.
DE 694 05 587 T2 discloses an arrangement for inserting a tracheostoma with a filter housing for receiving a filter that exchanges moisture and heat, and the filter housing is configured with a first opening for the connection to the patient's stoma and with at least a second opening arranged at the opposite side of the filter in one flow direction of the respiratory air. In this arrangement, a valve element is provided in the second opening of the filter housing and is suitable for closing said opening manually by means of a finger and for opening it by elastic return.